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Biomedical subjects

N G La Rocca

Publications and source records attributed to N G La Rocca.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

Cognitive dysfunction and change in multiple sclerosis.

A cross-sectional study of 60 multiple sclerosis outpatients assessed neuropsychological variables in relation to age, duration of disease, and degree of disability. The test battery included subtests of the WAIS (Vocabulary, Similarities, and Digit Span);the Raven matrices; and memory tests (Wechsler Paired Associates, Benton Visual Retention). Results showed that cognitive functioning of MS patients varies considerably. There is a general mild decline that affects abstract reasoning and memory as the disease progresses. These deficits are usually not sufficient to impair occupational or social functioning. In addition, there is spotty deterioration in certain cognitive functions for some patients (17%). Only a small subsample (6.7%), however, showed global deterioration significant enough to be highlighted by an Index of Dementia that was developed for this investigation.

Adult↗

Employment in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

The major objectives of this research were to examine unemployment in the MS population on a national level, and to identify factors which might influence an MS individual's employment status. Data used were from the National Multiple Sclerosis Survey conducted by the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke. Data analysis was restricted to a subset of the sample who had worked at some time in their lives. Of 949 persons 79.7% were currently unemployed. While 65.2% had worked at the time of first symptom, only 27.2% were working at the time of the interview, an average of 17 years later. Path analyses revealed the overwhelming importance of mobility for remaining employed, particularly for males. Additional differences found between male and female path models were interpreted in terms of social role theory.

Disability Evaluation↗